Legislation, Dubbed ‘Charlie Kirk Act,’ Seeks to Restore and Strengthen Protections Against Domestic Dissemination of USAGM Content
U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) Thursday introduced legislation, the “Charlie Kirk Act,” which aims to restore protections from the Smith-Mundt Act to prevent the federal government from using government-funded media to target American citizens with propaganda.
The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and is named in tribute to conservative leader Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last week in Utah during a debate appearance.
The proposed legislation comes in the wake of Kirk’s murder, an event that has ignited a national conversation on political rhetoric and violence. In a statement, Senator Lee condemned the violence and explained the purpose of his bill.
“From the end of World War II until the Obama administration, it was illegal for the US government to use the State Department’s foreign broadcasting apparatus to target American citizens with propaganda,” said Senator Lee. “In 2013, these protections were taken away. My legislation restores this safeguard under the name of an American martyr for freedom of speech and freedom of thought: Charlie Kirk. As Charlie’s vital work so ably demonstrated, Americans can figure out the truth for themselves without government telling them what to believe.”
Senator Marshall echoed this, linking the bill directly to the recent tragedy.
“The tragedy we witnessed last week was a sobering reminder of the perils of a population subjected to dangerous propaganda,” said Senator Marshall. “The federal government should never be able to directly target U.S. citizens with propaganda, and this bill takes meaningful steps to remove any semblance of government influence over American media.”
The bill’s sponsors and other political figures have tied the assassination to extremist rhetoric. New survey data released since the death of Charlie Kirk indicates that a significant portion of “very liberal” Americans find political violence justifiable, a revelation that has been a point of focus for conservatives. Vice President J.D. Vance urged Americans to address “this incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism that has grown up over the last few years,” which he believes “is part of the reason why Charlie was killed by an assassin’s bullet.”
The original Smith-Mundt Act, enacted during the Cold War, was designed to protect the American public from government propaganda. However, amendments made in 2013 under the Obama administration weakened these protections, a change that critics argue opened the door for government-funded media outlets to influence domestic public opinion. Lee’s office highlighted that outlets like NPR and PBS, which have faced accusations of political bias and had their federal funding revoked, underscore the need for such a bill.
In response to Kirk’s assassination, President Trump expressed support for reenacting the Smith-Mundt protections, and a petition for its passage in Kirk’s memory has garnered over one hundred thousand signatures. The “Charlie Kirk Act” aims to restore media accountability and safeguard freedom of speech and the press from what supporters call biased government control, funded by American tax dollars.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
